


DREAM EATER

by noair (orphan_account)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dreams and Nightmares, M/M, Psychic Abilities, jaehyun is a prince who is DONE WITH THIS SHIT, johnny is a baku demon (dream eating demon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-08-09 23:30:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20125639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/noair
Summary: jaehyun, the youngest prince out of a family of four, finds the dreams he has each night too unbearable to go on with. a certain demon named johnny, on the other hand, has the solution for this.at a price.





	DREAM EATER

**Author's Note:**

  * For [n_ikuman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/n_ikuman/gifts).

> i want to start this out by saying thank you THANK YOU for reading this!!! honestly this fic was something i had been working on for a while as i was in love with this concept and idea. i was very much inspired by the artist n_ikuman on twitter and definitely would dedicate this fic to them if i could dedicate to twitter users!!! (edit: I FOUND THEIR USER it's the same username... wtf im so stupid) anyways a lot of shit has happened from when i started this and now and i honestly don't know if i could ever finish this fic. i have a lot of stuff planned out for it (meaning i basically have the entire fic planned out from beginning to end) and might finish it one day, hence the 1/2 parts. anyways, thank you for being here. i appreciate it a lot!
> 
> edit: okay this is try 2 at posting this fic wtf

**i.**

jaehyun awoke with a startled gasp, clutching the bedsheets that seemed to devour him. the grand window in front of him, with its curtains drawn open, allowed the moonlight to spill onto the floor and cast a silver shine on the various pieces of furniture that were strewn about the room. as jaehyun tilted his head to the side, a sliver of light caught his eye. jaehyun slowly raised a hand to block the light from doing any more harm. why was the moon so bright these days? jaehyun could not answer the question. slumping back down into his pillow, he tiredly rubbed at his eyes. every night seemed like the same pattern- falling asleep with a heavy heart, waking up in the middle of the night from a horrible vision, and staying awake until the moon ceased to rise and the sun rose victorious.

life as a prince was no easy task. though mostly overshadowed by his more capable brothers, jaehyun found the daily routines of the royal life more or less tedious. though his brothers all had different schedules that they followed, they mainly compromised of the same things. after hours of private tutoring in maths, sciences, and languages, more lessons on equestrianism, fencing, and archery followed. jaehyun found it all a bore. most of the lessons applied to one of his brothers anyways- jaehyun would never excel in those that his brothers had already perfected.

the first in line to the throne was taeil. as the perfect son, taeil was calculative, intuitive, and to be franky, a bit old-fashioned. jaehyun had a mild sort of respect for his oldest brother, smiling whenever the man gifted him puzzles for his birthday or when he would stop by jaehyun’s room to give him a quick rundown of the daily news. from what he had heard from the castle staff, most of the workers seemed to adore taeil- but was that for their own personal gain? it didn’t seem to matter now. taeil was the next in line and that was all to it.

the second eldest and by far the most popular of the four sons was taeyong. taeyong, with a smile that could blind and a voice that could kill. taeyong, with his quick-thinking and heart-led personality. it was no question that he was their father’s favourite. though it was rumoured that he had fallen in love with a commoner years before, taeyong’s reputation in the castle was secured by adoring maids and biased teachers. jaehyun harboured only fond memories of his brother, yet found himself growing distant with each word they exchanged. perhaps such was life.

the second youngest and the one closest to jaehyun’s age, doyoung was the most mischievous and carefree of the four siblings. being not the eldest nor the youngest, doyoung was privy to roam around wherever he pleased and do whatever he wished. described by the castle staff as “the devil’s son”, jaehyun would always smile when his brother appeared in his room during the afternoon with fistfuls of candy that had been stolen from the kitchen. jaehyun shrugged to himself. small acts of kindness like those were nothing out of the normal. as the youngest, jaehyun was used to it.

yet, jaehyun did not have the privileges that his older brothers had. known as a recluse who only spoke up when around his close family members, jaehyun was kept inside the safety of the castle by his parents’ orders. as a child, “bad dreams” were common for him. waking up in the middle of the night with drops of sweat tainting his forehead and a scream that pierced the air, his parents were constantly worried as to why this was happening. the dreams were not ones that small children dreamt of, however. they whispered things to jaehyun that seemed to come true. quickly, his parents recognised this talent. jaehyun had the ability to foresee future events.

just like any normal dream, most of the time jaehyun would forget about the events he dreamt about soon after he awoke- sometimes, not even remembering them at all. yet this year seemed different. not only did his dreams seem to stick to him like a bur stuck to one’s clothes, but his dreams all dealt with the same events. jaehyun did not know when these events took place or how far away in the future they were, but it horrified him.

this night was no different. once more when jaehyun awoke he remembered the sight of his family’s kingdom in ruins. the city below him was engulfed in flames and the castle was beyond repair. jaehyun had stumbled around in the rumble, clutching his arm and wondering why this would be the first time he would set foot in the outside world in years. burying his face in his palms, jaehyun groaned. this was his life.

the sun rose once more and jaehyun kicked his blankets off of him as soon as the sun was hanging nicely above the city. though he had personal maids to help him, he preferred to dress himself. it was the least he could do without bothering the staff any more than what his brothers did.

“dressed yourself again? your hair looks so unkempt.” taeil muttered when jaehyun sat down at the dining table. “how many days has it been since you’ve washed your hair…?” taeil looked up from his newspaper, smiling when he made eye contact with the younger. sighing, taeil put the paper down. “i’m joking. glad to see you up this early for breakfast today. i was starting to get tired of taeyong and doyoung’s useless bickering.” and as if on cue, the two other siblings barged into the hall as they were at each other’s throats.

“why can’t you ever shut up when we’re both in german class? mr. liu obviously asked me to answer the question but i don’t think you actually understood that seeing how shitty you are at keeping any sort of common sense in your brain-“ jaehyun recognised doyoung’s annoyed tone and looked over his shoulder to see taeyong pinching doyoung’s cheek.

“oh, be quiet. i was doing you a favour. i didn’t want to see you babbling like an idiot again as you prove once more that you never pay attention to his lectures.” taeyong scoffed, letting go of doyoung’s face in order to wipe his hands on his suit. “ah, jaehyun. it’s a pleasure to see you sit at the family table again. did you have a good night’s sleep?” taking a seat next to jaehyun, doyoung followed suit and began to pile scrambled eggs and pastries onto his plate. “doyoung- will you please have some manners.” taeyong seethed, setting down his fork and knife in frustration.

as the two began to argue once more, jaehyun uninterestingly looked to the side of the room where multiple bay windows gave way to a beautiful sight of the bustling city below. he wondered how the city would fall in the future- how he would be present for it.

“last night was fine.” jaehyun shrugged, answering taeyong’s question long after it was asked.

“pardon me?” taeyong answered, turning his head to face the younger. “oh- last night. well,” he began, looking at his watch as if there was a more pressing matter to attend to. “i’m glad. if it’s all good news, then i’m glad.” the second eldest promptly stood up from his chair, finished with his meal. “if you will all excuse me, i have somewhere to be. jaehyun, thanks for coming down today. i hope we can make this a routine.” he flashed jaehyun a small smile and left the room.

“what an idiot.” doyoung muttered once the dull footsteps had slowly disappeared. “i honestly don’t think he cares for this family at all. what a load of bullshit.”

the rest of breakfast continued quietly with a few small comments exchanged between jaehyun’s two other siblings. poking at the stack of pancakes that had been drowning in syrup, jaehyun tuned out this talk. most of it was politics, anyways. he had no care for such trivial matters. it wasn’t as if his parents forced him to learn the politics of the country. that was usually left to his other brothers. instead, as a young child, jaehyun was trained in the arts, taking a liking to classical singing. there were still faint memories of putting on mini “concerts” for the castle staff that jaehyun held onto. jaehyun smiled to himself. those were nice times.

the rest of the day passed by soundlessly. after finishing breakfast, jaehyun did not encounter any of his family members, aside from the daily news summarisation from taeil. and he preferred it that way. the rare silence that filled the castle was one that was rarely heard. so, jaehyun cherished the newfound silence.

“did you know that this month the moon is supposed to be the brightest it will be for the next 100 years? quite interesting, really. our country’s best astronomers are looking into it, but honestly, i could do better.” taeil looked around jaehyun’s room, finally stopping in front of the huge vanity that was positioned across from the grand window. bending down, taeil looked at himself in the mirror. how old he had grown since they were all only small children. “i heard some maids talking about old folklore after literature class today. supposedly the brightness of the moon allows for evil spirits to escape from the other realm into our world. what a funny little belief_!_” the elder chuckled to himself, standing upright once more.

“really?” jaehyun said impassively, fiddling with the loose button on his coat. “that’s interesting. i wish we had some sort of old family beliefs like that. imagine the fun our family could have with that.” shaking his head, jaehyun looked up at the high ceiling. images of cherubs and silver-haired goddesses with starry eyes were painted above.

taeil followed jaehyun’s eyes to the top of the room. “well, i suppose we are a bit boring. but it’s all in good intention, isn’t it? i doubt father would’ve wanted us to be so caught up in such childish philosophies.” straightening his own coat, taeil stepped towards the door. “anyways, i need to leave soon for classes. i’ll hopefully see you tomorrow morning, jaehyun.” with a single bow, taeil left, leaving jaehyun with his own thoughts to keep company.

**ii.**

jaehyun opened his eyes to a world full of carnage and destruction. furrowing his brow, he lifted himself up from the ground, coughing from the heavy cloud of dust that seemed to plaster the earth below him. squinting through the haze, he could make out where the castle he lived in once stood. such a magnificent, glorious structure was now gone, recogisable only from the main gate that had yet to be burnt down. struggling to make sense of anything, jaehyun stumbled around the land, wondering how he had ended up outside the castle walls.

but, jaehyun was used to this now. for weeks, this scene had plagued his dreams. no matter the position he slept in, what he ate before, whatever he said before- every dream led to this sight. a world in which jaehyun was alive, but his kingdom was dead.

nearby, a long wooden pole burned. half of the pole was missing as it struggled not only to stay upright but also to carry the weight of the country’s flag. though the piece of cloth was tattered and worn, jaehyun could still make out his family’s crest. moving closer, jaehyun finally remembered where he was standing. this was the entrance to the castle, a passageway that was viewable from jaehyun’s bedroom window. if he woke up now and looked outside, he knew that it would still be there.

the prince limped to the pole, where a pile of rubble and broken bricks laid. almost unconsciously, jaehyun began to pick through the pile, gasping loudly when he saw him.

him.

his brother.

abruptly standing up, jaehyun could not believe it. how could his brother- so young yet so full of potential, die such an early death? judging by the appearance of the corpse, it would not be long until his brother’s passing. reaching out with a shaky hand, jaehyun gradually cupped his brother’s face with his one hand and rubbed away a fleck of blood with the other, allowing a few tears to silently roll down his cheeks.

“i’m so sorry,” jaehyun murmured, biting down hard on his lip until he could taste the metallic sting. “fuck- what can i do? what can i even do to help?”

as jaehyun looked up once more to stare at his dead brother’s face, a small disgusting fly landed on the elder’s eye. with it’s filthy hands, it began to pick away at the rotting corpse. by _god_, his brother was really dead.

**iii.**

covering his mouth, jaehyun awoke with a startled gasp, clutching the bedsheets that seemed to devour him. for the 8th time that month, it had happened again. these nightmares that seemed to plague his visions would not cease. burying his face in his palms once more, jaehyun roughly wiped away the tears from his face that would not stop falling. god, what a foolish man he was. how could a prince be so weak?

managing to get his legs to the other side of the bed, jaehyun swung himself over and stood up, taking a deep breath in order to calm himself down. once more, the window curtains had not been closed and the moon looked brighter than usual. even brighter than yesterday’s, if that was even possible. striding slowly to the window, jaehyun placed his hand on the cold glass. the man shivered, a feeling of immense discomfort washing over him. his life had taken a turn for the worse, it seemed.

jaehyun tilted his head up towards the moon and frowned. evil spirits, huh? when he thought about it now, the idea did seem a bit foolish. in his country, the moon was seen as a symbol of peace and prosperity. what was there to talk about evil spirits?

“whoever may be listening,” jaehyun sighed, pushing a hand through his messy hair. “god, _anyone_, please just make these dreams stop. i know it’s bound to happen- i know, i know. but why can’t i dream of the good future anymore? is the end really that soon?” dragging his soles along the floor, he made his way to the vanity. as the centerpiece of the room, jaehyun spent most of his time sitting in front of the large mirror. tonight, with the moon bright as ever, he could make out his own face in the mirror’s reflection.

“you idiot,” jaehyun muttered to no one in particular, letting his head rest on the vanity table. “what god would give you such a thing- an **answer**_!_”

as soon as those last words escaped the prince’s lips, a loud crack of thunder sounded from behind. startled, jaehyun looked up at the vanity and saw the lightning strike for a mere second before the sky grew dark once again. letting out a sigh, jaehyun closed his eyes. it seemed that the night would continue for now. preparing to stand up, jaehyun’s senses were suddenly heightened at the sound of the floorboards behind him creaking. with his eyes still closed, he waited a few more seconds and looked up at the vanity. a man’s silhouette was standing right in front of the window.

accented by the moonlight, jaehyun could make out the man’s outfit, tall stature, and… tail? jaehyun shook his head. impossible. it could only be a trick of the light.

jaehyun observed as the man looked around the room, making no notice of the prince in front of him. as the man dusted off his outfit, jaehyun took the opportunity to quietly open the vanity drawer and pulled out a small knife. just because he was the youngest did not necessarily mean he did not know self-defense.

with his mind reeling to grasp the situation fully, jaehyun waited for the man to grow closer, looking at the mirror in preparation. as the sound of the floorboards grew louder and louder, jaehyun quickly spun around and thrust the knife at the man’s throat, stopping only an inch before the man’s adam’s apple.

“who the hell are you?” the prince snapped, narrowing his eyes to take a better look at the man. now that they were face to face, jaehyun could properly study the man’s facial features. with a strong jawline and sharp eyes, jaehyun thought the man almost looked like a hawk. the man wore a white suit, contrasting with his slicked back pitch black hair. what a peculiar person.

smiling to himself, the man gave away to a small chuckle. “woah there,” he said, raising his hands up as if to surrender, “i know most people are usually excited to see me but don’t you think this is a little too fast for our first encounter?” breaking into an even bigger smile, he put his hands down. “now really though, is this how you treat a guest?”

squinting, jaehyun pressed the knife closer, the tip barely touching the other’s neck. “maybe you didn’t hear me- who the hell are you? i’ll give you ten seconds before i call security down here so you can be sent to the guillotine. breaking into the royal family’s castle is a serious offense, you know?”

the man rolled his eyes and scoffed. so this was how it was going to be? “your highness, please forgive me. i’m your _answer_.” jaehyun grimaced. “ah- now before you say anything more, could you please put the knife down? sharp objects give me **such** bad anxiety.”

as if it was against his will, jaehyun reluctantly set the knife on the table and leaned harshly against the chair he was sitting on merely seconds before. the man took a step closer, leaning down closer so the two could practically hear each other breathe.

abruptly, the man took a step back and extended a hand out to jaehyun. “i’m johnny. a pleasure to meet you finally.”

though he had yet to let his guard down, jaehyun found himself reaching out to take the man’s hand. jaehyun was surprised by how cold the man felt, how the feeling seemed so electrifying to him. shaking his head, jaehyun processed the information. johnny, was it? what an interesting name. had he ever encountered such a name before?

“a foreign name for a foreign face… how uncanny.” jaehyun muttered mostly to himself, forcefully letting go of johhny’s hand when he felt the electrifying force. “now, johnny, what the fuck are you doing in my room? pardon my language, but it’s not every day i find an intruder emerging from my bedroom window that hasn’t been opened in more than 20 years. it’s almost as if i feel like my life is being threatened_! _what a funny feeling.”

“oh, i love a man with a sharp tongue.” johnny drawled, the ends of his mouth perking up. “but you’re right, it’s my bad. i should have properly introduced myself. so let’s start again, shall we? my name is johnny, as you know, and to put it plainly- i am your answer. your answer to what, you ask? well, what do you think. i’m here to take all your nightmares away, sweet prince. for the small price of your trust, i will take all your uncertainties away and replace them with only visions of the blissful future.”

as soon as johnny uttered his last sentence, jaehyun took a deep breath. how did this man know? his secret was only known inside the castle walls. how would an outsider know of such things?

“i know, you’re doubtful of me. how do i know of your power? well, your highness, i also know a lot of other things about you. i know your favourite brother is doyoung. i know you’ve tried to escape this castle 24 times. i know you hate your father more than you hate yourself. and worst of all, i know what you’ve seen. your fears about a future war- a war that will destroy not only your family but the country that you’ve all worked hard to build up. everything will be gone in a matter of seconds.” as johnny mentioned the last word, he lifted up his right hand and snapped his fingers. for a second, jaehyun felt nauseous. “but i can fix this. make a deal with me, your highness, and for an extended time i will give you whatever you need.”

though in any other situation, jaehyun would’ve automatically declined, the prince was shocked when he heard the mysterious figure mention his visions. how did johnny know? for a second, jaehyun was taken aback.

“what… what are you?” reaching for the knife again, jaehyun placed a hand on his chest. how his heart beat like a madman_!_

“something stronger than you, your highness.” johnny sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “i’m getting a bit impatient now. usually i don’t stay around this long but i’ve taken a liking to you. let’s make this deal now, shall we?” johnny stuck out his hand and raised his pinky. “let’s do it.”

a few seconds of silence filled the room once more as jaehyun pondered for a bit. how had this even happened? only minutes before jaehyun had awoken. what was he doing here, making strange deals with strange men? yet, when he recalled only moments before when he had touched his brother’s cold, lifeless face-

jaehyun had to stop it.

the prince reached out with a reluctant hand and hooked his pinky finger with johnny’s. and like that, the deal was sealed. _what a childish way of agreement_, jaehyun wondered, observing the cheerful expression of the man. grinning from ear to ear, johnny walked to the bedroom window. the rain had stopped pouring by now. johnny laughed to himself and looked back at jaehyun.

“a pleasure doing business with you. i’ll visit once more when our deal is over. give it a week, see how you enjoy it.” and with one more snap of the fingers, johnny was gone, leaving behind only the smell of smoke and fresh sage in his wake.

**iv.**

jaehyun’s hands fluttered across the white keys, his eyes closed as he had memorised the melody years before. moving his head back and forth, it was almost as if playing the piano was an instinct- not a skill. with graceful movements, jaehyun let his fingers glide through the piece. before he knew it, the song was over, leaving only a small echo to sound throughout the palace’s atrium. as it was the weekend, most of the visitors that were usually situated in the room were long gone, instead replaced by a few guards who were always positioned near the entrances of any room in the castle.

waiting for the last note to die out, jaehyun turned around to look behind him as sounds of a quiet applause came from the other side of the room. leaning against the doorway, there stood taeyong.

“that was quite good. i seem to recall you playing the same song years ago at a family meeting… claire de lune, was it? it’s very pretty.” taeyong walked across the room and finally made his way to the grand piano, examining the instrument carefully. even though it had been maintained all these years, this was the first time it had truly been played since jaehyun’s abilities were finally identified. “yes… it’s very, very pretty.”

keeping his head down, jaehyun didn’t dare to look up. wouldn’t it be too obvious if he looked directly at his brother? why did he suddenly feel so guilty, so bad now? taking a deep breath, jaehyun finally looked into his brother’s eyes. shit. he felt worse than before now.

“thanks,” jaehyun finally managed to get out, feeling his entire body shake in disgust. “it’s been awhile since i’ve played. i’m honestly not as good as i was before.”

“really? i thought you sounded great. though, i will admit, i was never as musically inclined as you… or frankly the rest of our brothers, in fact. i’m still sure you aren’t as bad as you think you are, however.” taeyong put a hand on jaehyun’s shoulder and rubbed it encouragingly. “but you really are up quite early, jaehyun. has there been a change in your dreams, anything we should know about?” at this comment, jaehyun felt his face grow pale. god, was he really going to ask him this?

“uh… i-i,” jaehyun stuttered, “i’ve been fine. honestly. there hasn’t been any important ones so far. just small interactions, you know? actually, come to think of it… i think i’ve dreamt of this interaction before. i think so, yes…” jaehyun was only partially lying by that point. though he did have a dream months before of this scenario, he had not predicted that taeyong would be talking to him. he merely remembered in his dream that he had sat down at the atrium’s piano and began to play debussy’s claire de lune. perhaps that is why he had suddenly started to play when he walked past the piano.

“oh_!_” for a moment, taeyong sounded surprised. “well, i suppose that’s quite good, isn’t it. it seems we’ve been receiving lots of good news lately. and i’m surprised you can still remember such visions. i feel like i’m the most forgetful one in the family.” taeyong chuckled at this, mostly in a desperate attempt to fill in the awkward silence that followed each sentence the two brothers threw at each other.

“ah, and also jaehyun, was there anyone in your room last night? i woke up to that horrible thunder sound and couldn’t really fall asleep after that. i did hear a bit of scuffling and some voices from your room though. are you alright?” with a concerned tone, the grip on jaehyun’s shoulder tightened. it was message- _don’t lie to me_.

biting down on his lip, jaehyun swallowed hard. he felt bad for lying to any of his brothers, but this time it seemed as if he had to. “oh yes, the thunder woke me up too. i was honestly a bit startled, i won’t lie.” jaehyun heard taeyong let out a sigh of relief. “after i woke up i couldn’t fall asleep either. i paced around my room for a couple minutes. are you sure you heard any voices? it was probably just me talking… everything is such a blur.”

taeyong let go of jaehyun’s shoulder and beamed. “what a relief. i didn’t want my favourite brother to be involved in any odd stuff…” suddenly, taeyong was pinching both of jaehyun’s cheeks. “ah, you’re still as cute as ever_!_ i remember when you were only a little toddler and couldn’t even walk yet… where has time gone?” reaching out to take his brother’s hands off his face, jaehyun peevishly frowned. “fine, fine. i’ll stop.”

the next few seconds was filled with more uncomfortable silence. it felt as if the two brothers’ relationship was built solely on awkward jokes and uncelebratory praise. clearing his throat, taeyong spoke up once more.

“the weather has been absurd these days, though. it was quite nice yesterday but the rain last night was totally unexpected. the rain only lasted for a couple seconds, too. don’t you think that’s a bit odd? i suppose it was nice, though. the flowers outside the castle gate have all bloomed very nicely this morning and the grass when it’s fresh with dew is such a beautiful sight to behold. have you seen the flowers outside-“ taeyong stopped in his tracks, realising what he had just said. “oh… jaehyun, i’m so sorry. i can’t believe i- i can’t believe i said that. jaehyun, i’m so, so sorry.”

sighing, jaehyun cringed. taeyong was the only one of his brothers that had forgotten that he had not been outside the castle walls for years. it seemed almost insensitive to speak of such experiences to him now. taeyong would never understand the yearning that jaehyun had to leave the castle. was it right to blame him for being so forgetful though? after all, it wasn’t as if they were the closest of brothers. everyone knew that.

“it’s fine.” jaehyun plainly assured, standing up from the piano bench. reaching into his suit, jaehyun pulled out his pocket watch. “don’t you think it’s time for lunch? we should leave soon.” picking up his pace, taeyong agreed. the two brothers left the atrium in silence. it felt just like old times.

**v.**

the prince walked around his room in silence, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked nervously from side to side. though 24 hours had not even passed from the fateful meeting that had occurred last night, it felt as if years had passed since he had agreed to that… _monster’s_ deal. jaehyun unclasped his hands and put them in front of him. though he was not one to admit into nervousness, there was a certain feeling in his heart that weighed down on his shoulders. his hands trembled with an uncontrollable strength. if only jaehyun wasn’t so weak- if he only he could deal with his fate like _a real man_.

thinking back to last night, jaehyun could still remember the cool touch of johnny’s hand in his. at that time, jaehyun observed the moonlight-stricken profile of the other. as much as he hated to acknowledge it, the prince found the man quite handsome. smothered with the faces of poor village girls and old butlers that had served the castle practically since their birth, it was a bit refreshing to have a new face around. sighing, jaehyun shook his head. how foolish it was for him to think of such silly thoughts_! _imagine that- a prince daydreaming about a man he had met only for a mere few minutes.

jaehyun squeezed his fists together and quickly relaxed them. if he did not sleep tonight, would he ever sleep again? he’d have to find the courage somehow.

“god dammit, johnny. you better be telling the truth or i’ll have you executed.” jaehyun seethed to no one in particular and got into bed. taking a deep breath, jaehyun blew out the lamp candle that sat on his bedside desk. though there was no light in the room, the moon still shone brightly through the glass window. to jaehyun, it was a comforting feeling. looking from the side of the bed, he observed the pale light that littered the floor like fresh snowfall. with one final sigh, jaehyun closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

**vi.**

when jaehyun awoke, he was startled. for once, he had not woken up to ruins, but rather to a pleasant ball scene. sitting down at the far end of the room where his family usually supervised such parties, jaehyun looked around. the three seats next to him were all empty. jaehyun shrugged at this. they usually were, anyways. if jaehyun had to guess, he assumed that taeil was with his parents somewhere talking about the country’s politics, taeyong was courting a helpless princess from a far-away country, and doyoung was out in the courtyard playing poker with anyone that could. it was like the norm for their family.

seeing no use to being the lone family member at the table, jaehyun stood up from his chair and proceeded to enter the ballroom floor. it had been awhile since one of these happened, so jaehyun was mildly pleased to see his family return to their original roots. as a child, jaehyun had despised such parties as they were too noisy and his parents practically forced him to perform for the guests. now, they were more of a minor nuisance.

stepping onto the main floor, jaehyun looked around for any familiar faces. as the orchestra played a sweet waltz near the back of the room, most couples were entranced with their partner, not once glancing in the prince’s direction. jaehyun wasn’t surprised. most people forgot he was even a prince, nonetheless an actual member of the royal family. he wouldn’t doubt if they didn’t even know who he was.

jaehyun lightly travelled to the back of the room near the orchestra, moving his feet along to the beat of the music almost subconsciously. a smile pricked the edges of jaehyun’s lips, making its way into the prince’s heart. god. he had missed the deep sound of the orchestra so much.

with his eyes closed, jaehyun absorbed the sound of the music. not soon after he had begun to relax, a light tap on his shoulder caused the prince to violently turn around. as his eyes fluttered open, jaehyun was shocked to see… johnny?

“what a coincidence to see your highness at such a party. i’m completely honoured.” johnny grinned, giving a polite bow before grasping one of jaehyun’s hands in his. “but why is your highness standing here all alone? what a pitiful sight.” johnny leaned down to plant a small kiss on jaehyun’s palm. in disgust, jaehyun waved his hand ferociously in order to free himself from the other’s grip.

“you imbecile_! _how dare you fucking touch-“ jaehyun stopped midway, his hand still poised in the air. “did you… just speak to me? no one has ever spoken directly to me in a dream before.” the prince mumbled the last part, biting down on his lip in confusion.

chuckling at the sight of jaehyun’s muddled expression, johnny swept his hair back with a quick swipe of his hand. “i’m not a part of this vision, i’m afraid.” johnny looked to the side, admiring the numerous nobles dancing happily together. “but what would a dream demon be if they could not penetrate the dreams of their victims? let me tell you something, jaehyun,” turning his back to the prince, johnny walked along the side of the room, practically touching shoulders with other guests. “i’m in this dream with you, yes, but i am not a part of this vision. when this party truly occurs, i will not be there. these guests here right now will not interact with me, and i will not interact with them. however-“ johnny spun around and looked directly into jaehyun’s glaring eyes, “i can still talk to you. why? because i like you.” with a sly smirk, johnny laughed. “i’m joking, i’m joking. i am simply _not_ _here_. none of this has any effect on the real world.”

jaehyun scoffed. what kind of bullshit was this?

“whatever. do me a service and just get out of here. you’ve already wasted enough of my time.” with a swift turn of his head to the side, jaehyun looked the other way. johnny nodded, bowing one more time before taking note and leaving. when jaehyun finally faced the front, he was almost surprised that the other had followed suit with his commands. it had been awhile since he had felt this sort of power. it felt nice to be back.

with johnny gone, jaehyun strolled around the rest of the hall, taking pleasure in seeing the guests enjoy themselves and his two eldest brothers also taking a part in entertaining them. though admittedly, jaehyun was not a family person, it warmed his heart the slightest bit to see that the future held such promising results. blinded by the prospect of an approaching happy future, jaehyun seemed to forget the upcoming dangers of the distant end. but it was better this way.

the prince quietly strolled out of the main hall and into the entrance of the courtyard. flowers spilled out of baskets, hung from high terraces, bloomed like fireworks, and laced the grounds in a frenzy. jaehyun smiled softly as he leaned down to pick a cluster from the nearby weeping willow tree. the wind gently blew past him, grazing his cheek with the tenderness of a mother. oh how he adored the outside world_! _though it was technically not the outside of the castle grounds, jaehyun cherished any chance he had to breathe in the fresh air that was not available inside.

a sweet voice in which jaehyun recognised snapped the prince out of his daydreaming. he could not remember the last time he had heard doyoung’s tender voice drone out even a small, insignificant melody. this was a change from the usually nonchalant and apathetic prince. how jaehyun was happy to hear these changes_!_ jaehyun let out a laugh and stroked through his hair. the future would only be blissful from now on.

walking around the courtyard, jaehyun finally found his way to the center of the garden. passing by briefly to pick some of the flowers that scattered the ground and those which hung high above in the branches of exotic trees, jaehyun finally sat down on a stone bench that encircled the grand fountain in the middle of the entire garden. with a garland of flowers clutched in both hands, jaehyun closed his eyes. he wanted to cherish the moment before it was gone.

a sharp gust of wind quickly blew past jaehyun once more. this time, jaehyun was not surprised and continued to let his eyes close. yet, there seemed to be something off in the atmosphere now. letting his eyes flutter open, jaehyun was hardly surprised to see _him_, that demon, sitting next to him.

**Author's Note:**

> if you would like to see this continued please tell me :') i really want to finish this- it's just hard to find the motivation haha


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